Democrats rallied in opposition to billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, who additionally heads up President Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), exterior the Social Safety Administration’s headquarters in Baltimore.
Democrats in each chambers gathered to sound alarm after a choose briefly blocked Musk and DOGE personnel from getting access to the Treasury Division’s delicate fee system.
“We have one simple message, which is Elon Musk, keep your hands off of our Social Security,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) mentioned on the high of the press convention on Monday.
“They have accessed highly sensitive personal information on Americans at the Department of Treasury, including Social Security numbers, bank accounts and other very sensitive information,” he additionally mentioned, whereas accusing Musk of “conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew.”
Amongst these in attendance on the demonstration included Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Maryland Reps. Kweisi Mfume (D), Johnny Olszewski and Sarah Elfreth. Former Social Safety Commissioner Martin O’Malley additionally spoke on the occasion.
Whereas Trump has set formidable sights on shrinking the scale of presidency, the president has additionally vowed to guard Social Safety, which contains a bit of annual federal spending.
Nevertheless, studies that DOGE has acquired entry to the Treasury fee system used to disburse funds – together with Social Safety advantages, tax refunds and salaries for federal staff – have set off a firestorm in Washington, notably as Democrats have accused Republicans of wanting to focus on Social Safety.
The Treasury mentioned not lengthy after the information broke {that a} overview of the system was underway and that DOGE workers would solely have “read only” entry. Musk and his workforce have additionally since been blocked from accessing the system.
Democrats have been ramping up assaults on Musk as he emerges as a key participant within the Trump administration’s cost-cutting efforts.
The opposition comes amid broader efforts by Democratic leaders to counter the president’s actions on spending, because the get together accuses Trump of overstepping his powers in looking for to withhold congressionally accredited funds for some applications and dismantle federal businesses.
Current efforts by Trump to freeze federal assist have additionally been tied up within the courts as critics increase questions of legality.
